The Tools Used In Identity Theft

Identity theft is very quickly becoming the crime of choice for thousands of criminals worldwide. With online Internet access to just about any kind of database you want becoming easier and easier to acquire, the crime of Identity Theft is becoming so easy, a child could do it, if they are even mildly adept at using a computer.

So how does identity theft occur? Below are some of the ways you can become a victim

Identity Theft From The Dead:

The goal here is to scour through newspapers obituary columns to find out who has died lately. Then once you get a list of the dearly departed and their addresses, you go over to their homes and grab any mail that is laying around. Some of the items used in identity theft are bank statements, credit card receipts, tax bills, and utility bills. They will even go through the garbage looking for anything that will help the perpetrators with the identity theft

This may take a few days maybe up to a month, but you can be sure that many of the dearly departed’s loved ones are to traumatized & busy with other details to stop credit card bills and invoices from creditors from being sent out.

Another way to exploit those who have left this earth, is to make an appointment with a realtor to view the property of the newly deceased. Once inside, the thieves will go through the house looking for mail, invoices, even ID that may still be in the house, literally anything that will help the crooks with the identity theft of your loved on. Scotland just had over 7000 dead identity theft victims in a recent crime spree perpetrated by Scottish gangs.

Statistics say that around 30 percent of all ID thefts occur by stealing the identity of a dead person.

High Tech Identity Theft:

One of the laziest ways to perpetrate identity theft, is to place a computer recording device on a victims computer. Once this type of spy software is installed, it will capture and record ALL computer activity… everything from passwords, banking information & credit card numbers, to private emails & chat conversations.

The spy software will then relay this information over the Internet directly into the identity theft criminals email account. The nice thing for the crooks who operate this way is, they just let the victims emails pile up in an free untraceable email account, and then maybe once a month use an email parser to scan these emails for the information they need to get your money.This can be a totally automated process.The spy software is easy to buy off the Internet. There are over 500 types of this spy software commercially available to anyone who want to buy it.

Identity Theft Through Mail.

If the crook can get hold of your mail they will easily be able pull off and identity theft on you, and spoof a lending institution into granting a bank account to the scammers. They will simply take a leisurely drive through the country in the guise of delivering handbills to mailboxes. While they are at these country mailboxes they will pilfer your mail, Many of us aren’t waiting for our bills with baited breath, so it can be a couple of months until we realize we haven’t received our bills. By that time the identity theft has occurred and the crooks are long gone.

The other simpler way to get your mail is to put in a change of address to the post office and re route your mail to the identity thieves new post box. This is a common practice, and if you are on vacation you will be none the wiser.

Identity Theft Through Forged ID:

These tools are a bit more high tech an require some computer skill, but nevertheless many identity theft has been perpetrated by generating social security cards, drivers licenses & birth certificates. The software to do this can be acquired online freely if you know your way around. All that’s required for this type of identity theft is a computer a printer and a software to tell the computer how to do what you want.

Identity Theft Through Shopping.

Have you ever been to a restaurant and paid with your credit card? Do you follow the waiter to the cash register and watch him as he runs your card through? It’s very simple to grab your credit card numbers including your expiry date and the 3 or 4 digit security code on the back of your card. Then all the crook has to do to make you a victim of identity theft, is wait a few weeks and then go on an online shopping spree, using your stolen credit card information. It will be very unlikely that you will be able to sort out which retail outlet your card numbers were stolen from. This type of identity theft is extremely easy to pull off.

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The average internet user’s computer is very likely to have some sort of hidden spyware infection that is slyly monitoring their internet activities.

Thousands of spyware applications exist making it difficult for users to avoid the threats when using the internet for numerous purposes. While online you could become infected with spyware by downloading games, music,
screensavers, pop ups, pictures, emails, freeware and shareware.

A spyware or adware infection can slow down your computer, sometimes causing it to crash because advertisers bombarding you with pop ups and monitoring your activity are using all the system resources. Spyware programs latch onto computers to track your uses and acquire personal information to be sent out to intruders, all done without your permission or knowledge.

Legislators are now looking into making laws that would protect internet users from the privacy invasive software. Consumers must beware of spyware because it can uncover and take advantage of your personal information including credit card numbers, passwords, social security numbers and more. Malicious operators can hack into your computer and take control which could cause more permanent, serious damage to you and the computer.

If you are wondering what spyware may be latching onto your computer try downloading spyware scanning tools that can detect and eliminate malicious codes such as spyware. Spybot, Pest Patrol and ZoneAlarm Pro and popularly used removal tools.

Mitch Johnson is a successful freelance author that writes regularly for http://www.1st-in-spyware.com/ , a site that focuses exclusively on spyware removal software, as well as tips on how to prevent spyware from popping up on your computer. This site articles on has spyware guard, http://www.easy-spyware-killer.info/ as well as spyware scanner, http://www.easy-remove-spyware.info/

So you want to know who your kids are chatting with. Or if your spouse has a blossoming e-mail romance. Or if one of your employees is leaking confidential information on the side. These tools will allow you to find out the truth and get the evidence you can present to court.

Spytech SpyAgent
http://www.deprice.com/spytechspyagent.htm

Spytech SpyAgent is a powerful and easy-to-use software utility that allows you to log all keystrokes typed and applications launched. All logs are easily viewed with the built in log viewers and can be saved to a convenient, easily viewed text format.

SpyAgent can be run on Windows startup in active monitoring mode with an optional splash warning screen. This allows you to have the option to let others using your workstation that they are being monitored (or not). A built in stealth mode is available to keep users from task-ending or knowing about SpyAgent. SpyAgent gives you the power to log all websites visited, windows viewed, applications ran, internet connections made, passwords entered, documents printed, AIM/AOL/ICQ/Yahoo/MSN conversations made, documents opened, emails sent/received, and even capture screenshots of the user’s activities.

iSpyNow
http://www.deprice.com/ispynow2.htm

SpyNOW is the critically acclaimed, award winning remotely deployable computer monitoring software used by hundreds of thousands of people across the globe. Make no mistake about it, iSpyNOW is first of its kind. iSpyNOW offers it’s users the ability to remotely monitor a machine via a web interface, without ever having physical access to the PC! Unlike competing products, iSpyNOW offers a totally seamless online-based control panel system, backed by intuitive wizards and powerful log viewing capabilities - no external client modules are necessary to download.

IamBigBrother
http://www.deprice.com/iambigbrotherspy.htm

Do you need to view the captured activity from work or another computer at home?IamBigBrother records all of the internet activity for many programs including America Online, MSN, Outlook Express and more. And it logs all keystrokes typed in EVERY program along with screen shots. So basically IamBigBrother monitors EVERYTHING on your computer.

ActMon Home Edition
http://www.deprice.com/actmonhome.htm

The Home Edition records EVERYTHING (including Web sites, Chat, Email and AOL). It is the best choice for parents who wish to monitor what their children are doing online. It is an excellent alternative to standard filtering and blocking software. To avoid tampering of the software, it features a unique file protection that makes the ActMon files truly invisible to every user and every windows software.

SpyBuddy
http://www.deprice.com/spybuddy.htm

SpyBuddy comes equipped with the functionality to record all e-mail’s sent and received, all AOL/ICQ/MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Trillian chat conversations (including MSN Messenger 6.0 and up), all web sites visited, all windows opened and interacted with, every application executed, every document printed, every file or folder renamed and/or modified, all text and images sent to the clipboard, every keystroke pressed, every password typed, and more.

SpyMyPC Pro
http://www.deprice.com/spymypcpro.htm

SpyMyPC PRO is a highly flexible, all-round desktop security monitoring solution written for the Windows operating system. SpyMyPC PRO allows you to secretly record ALL keystrokes typed on your PC without the user ever knowing! SpyMyPC PRO also includes advanced stealth mode features to prevent users and/or programs from detecting and disabling it, an e-mail delivery feature for remote monitoring, and much more.

John Deprice has tested a variety of internet/chat monitors, spying software and keyloggers. For results, visit http://www.deprice.com/utilities.htm

One of the most feared crimes is burglary. The threat of being a victim in your own home is bad enough but to be subjected to a crime a second or third time simply increases the fear of householders in an area. The quiet enjoyment of community life is ruined.

Most householders and car owners have at some time felt the fear of crime, with the elderly and vulnerable most at risk. It makes sense to take steps to tackle crime in an effective way by reducing and preventing crime before it can happen.

Home security is the best way to reduce your chances of being burgled. A lot of burglaries are spur of the moment, as a burglar may see an open window or other easy point of entry and take their chance.

Basic tips:

Visible burglar alarms, good lighting, and carefully directed and limited security lighting can act as deterrents. But make sure that lights don’t disturb your neighbours, and that alarms turn off after 20 minutes.

Fitting a ’spy hole’ allows you to see who is at the door. Having a door chain means you can open the door a little way to talk to them.

Make sure that any improvements you make don’t stop you from getting out of your house as quickly as possible if there is a fire.

Spending money on security measures can seem daunting, but it is a good investment, will last a long time and can add value to your property.

Contact your council or local police for help. They may be able to advise you on the best measures to protect your property, and may even have grants to help cover the cost.
Securing your property will make you safer in your home, and make your home and your belongings safer while you are out.

Older people

Older people may feel more vulnerable to some crimes, but are actually less likely to become victims. A few simple steps can also help reduce your risk of crime.

Think about getting a personal alarm to use if you trip or fall at home.

Fit door chains and spy holes, or ask the council to help you if you own your home.

Many councils have security schemes that are aimed at older or more vulnerable people. You could ask them for advice.
Phone the Age Concern information line on 0800 00 99 66 or visit the Age Concern website

Car Security

Most car thefts are carried out by opportunists and can be deterred. Car crime affects everybody living in an area and be reduced with some simple measures:

Don’t leave valuable items on display

Do use steering wheel or hand brake locks to prevent theft of your vehicle - especially if your car is an older model and does not have an immobiliser fitted.

If possible, park in a busy well lit area.

Visit the web site http://www.secureyourmotor.gov.uk for further information.

Simon Wharton is a consultant to the Home Security Industry.

Remember a Burglar Alarm secures your peace of mind as well as your belongings

ID Theft in the World of Internet Technology

Identity theft has been more prevalent in recent years primarily because transactions done over electronic platforms have been growing exponentially. Several reasons can be pointed out as to why identity theft can be done with relative ease with electronically-stored information.

First, the volatile nature of electronic information makes it virtually impossible to identify someone who has already made copies of a piece of information that has been stored in an electronic network. Modern security software makers have tried to address this but experienced identity thieves can still develop and/or employ software that can delete any traces of unauthorized access to such information.

Secondly, physical evidence of stealing identity information is minimal, thanks to wide area networks such as the Internet itself. Fraudsters who are able to penetrate into the premises of an organization can just as easily log on to a computer and email the information he needs to an untraceable email address that he can access outside, thus rendering standard security procedures such as frisking and document inspection practically useless.

Thirdly, electronic information released through transactions done over the Internet is very prone to identity theft. Keystroke loggers, bogus sites and phishing emails are means that are commonly employed by identity thieves.

Lastly, some thieves do not use software or internet technology at all. Thieves can employ pretexting scams in which they assume false identities to call or email unsuspecting victims and persuade them to reveal private information that can then be used to access personal account information.